Safety clutch device.



E. E. HANNAH. SAFETY CLUTCH DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-25. 1913.

1.... 11 m I nu S d e L n e t a P war WV Smuawtoz YELMEE ELLSWOETH HANNAH, OF ESTACADA, UREGON.

SAFETY CLUTCH DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. EAL, 1192 Application filed November 25, 1913. Serial No. 8%,052.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Ensure ELLSWORTH :HANNAII, a citizen of the United States, re" siding at lilstacada, in the county of Clackamas and State of Urcgon, have invented new and useful Safety Clutch Device, of which the following is a specification The invention relates to a clutch, and more particularly to the class of safety clutch devices for shafts or the like.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a clutch of this character wherein two shafts or the like can be united so that the same will. be driven simultaneously in one direction, the uniting of the shafts or the like being effected irrespective of the rotation thereof or when one shaft is rotating in one direction while the other shaft is rotating in the reverse direction.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a clutch of this character Wherein the shock resulting from the joining of the adjacent ends of shafts will be overcome, that is to say absorbed in a novel inannor to avoid undue strain on either of said shafts during the act of coupling.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a clutch of this character wherein the ends adjacent to each other of shafts or the like will be positively locked together when it is desired to join the same whereby motion from one of the shafts or the like will be imparted to the other, the shafts being readily uncoupled when the occasion requires.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a clutch of this character bination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinatter fully described, llustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation, showing the ends adjacent to each other of two shafts with a'coupling constructed in accordance with the invention applied, the

said shafts and coupling being partly in section; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig: 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of :tig. l.

Similar reference characters indicate 69,?

' or annulus 4t,

responding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numerals l and 2 designate respectively the ends adjacent to each other of two shafts, with which is associated a coupling device hereinafter fully described.

The coupling device comprises a disk-like member 8 which is interposed between the shafts 1 and 2, and has formed centrally thereon a boss 3 which-projects from one face thereof, while spaced from the said boss 3 is a collar 5, the same being suitably keyed or splined at l l to the shaft 1 which it encircles so that the collar is fixed thereto.

Formed on the collar at the inner face thereof is a lug 16 which is disposed near its periphery, while between the said collar 5 and the boss 3 are arranged compression springs 17 which aredisposed concentrically with respect to the shaft 1 and act as shock absorbers to overcome any undue strain or shock to either of the shafts 1 or 2 on the coupling of the same together in a manner presently described.

Surroundingthe boss 3" and collar 5 to form a housing for the springs 17 is a cylindrical cap 11 which is suitably detachably secured to the disk-like member 3, and is provided with an intnrncd annular flange 11 which overlaps the outer face of the collar 5 to prevent the separation of the disk-like member from the shaft 1, yet both the latter and the disk-like member can rotate to a slight degreeindependently of each other. The springs 17 are detachably held within the cap 11, for example, as shown in the drawing.

On the shaft@ is splincd or keyed a sleeve at which is loosiily fitted within a ring or annulus' l fixed to or integral with the disklike member 3;; the said ring or annulus being formed with a series of openings 5 disposed at diametrically opposite points with respect to each other, while formed in the sleeve a are notches 6, the latter being; adapted to register with the openings 5 through which work the hook-like ends 7' of swinging locking dogs 6 which are supported upon pivots 8' mounted in the disklilce member 3, and a keeper ring 8 Whichis spaced from the said member 3 by the ring the said keeper ring 8 and the ring or annulus 1- being fastened to the latter in any suitable manner. The sleeve 4: is reducedat one end to form a channel 2) for receiving the keeper ring 8 so that the sleeve 4 is free for rotation therein when the locking ends 7 of the dogs 6 are disengaged from the notches 6 in the said sleeve for the'rotation of the shafts l and 2 in dependently of each. other. Detachably threaded in the ring '8 is a ball cone 10. in which are arranged a series of bearing balls 10, the latterworking against the reduced end of the" sleeve '4, and this cone loosely surrounds the shaft 2, thus .it being seen that the bearing balls 10' minimize friction during'the rotation of the shafts independently of each other.

Formed in the sleeve 4: is a hall raceway 18 in which arearranged a series of'bearing balls 19 which travel upon the ring or annulus 4: so as to reduce friction between. the

sleeve 4; and the said. ring or annulus during the rotation of the shafts independently of each other.

Mounted on the member and. working against the dogs 6 are springs 7 which have their ends suitably engaged in the respective dogs and serve to sustain the dogs in position for positive locking engagement with the sleeve 4,- yet the said dogs 5 can be disengaged therefrom in a manner presently described.

Loosely surrounding the shaft'2 is a substantially cup-shaped wheel 12 formed with an integral internal cam surface 12, the latter adapted for engagement with inclined friction surfaces 13 formed on the dogs 6 when the wheel. 12 is moved. longitudinally on the shaft 2 in a direction toward the disklike member 3, and in this manner the dogs 6 are moved to releasing position for disengagement from the notches 6 in the sleeve at to unlock the shafts l and 2 from each other, the wheel 12being shifted longitudinally toward and away from the disk-like member 3 in any suitable manner.

In the operation of the coupling, assuming that normally the shafts 1 and 2 are unlocked from each other, this being accomplished by moving the wheel 12 in a direction to bring the cam 12' into contact with the surfaces 13 on the dogs 6, thus disengaging the said dogs from the sleeve 4: so that the shaft 2 is free for rotation independently of the shaft 1. Now, to lock the shafts to gether the wheel 12 is moved away from the member 3 so that the cam 12 rides from the surfaces 13 on the dogs 6, and at this instant theispring 7 becomes active to bring the dogs into locking engagement in the notches 6 in the sleeve at so that in this manner the shafts 1 and 2 will be locked together. When the shafts have been locked in this manner, should one shaft be rotated and the other passive, the shock incident to the coupling of the two shafts will I,

be absorbed through the medium of the two springs 17, which permits the disk 3 to rotate a limited distance under tension relative to the shaft 1, as'will be clearly apparent.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is thought that the construction and manner of use of the device will be clearly understood, and therefore a more extended explanation has been omitted. What is claimed .is:

1. The combination with a" pair of ro-- tatable elements, of a member arranged between the elements and loosely connected therewith, a.collar fixed to one of said elements, compression springs cooperative with the member and the said collar for tensioning the same relative to each other,' a sleeve fixed to the other element, a spring held dog carried by the said member for locking engagement with the sleeve, and means carried by the said other element for engagement with the dog to release the same from the sleeve.

2. The combination with a pair of ro-- tatable elements, of a member arranged between the elements and .loosely connected tatable elements, of a. member arranged between the elements and loosely connected therewith, a collar fixed to one of said elements, compression springs cotiperative with the member and the said collar for tensioning the same relative to each other, a sleeve fixed to the other element, a spring held dog carried by the said member for locking engagement with the sleeve, means carried by the said other element for engagement with the dog to release the same from the sleeve, means for preventing the displacement of the member relative to one of said elements, and means for preventing displacement of the said member relative to the .said sleeve.

ELMER ELLSWORTH HANNAH. Signed in the presence of- A. E. SPARKS, J. NIcnoLsoN. 

